Chrome 76 Brings Default Flash Blocking, Fix for Incognito Mode Loophole, PWA Install Shortcut, More

Chrome 76 for Mac, Windows, and Linux users is now rolling out, and it brings a fix for the Incognito mode issue that has been reported on several occasions in the past. The loophole exposed Chrome users' Incognito status to websites, and this loophole has been closed with the latest Chrome 76 update. This update also blocks Flash by default, and users will have to manually switch it back to the ‘Ask first' option in Settings.

The update also enforces site isolation for all desktop users. As for Flash blocking, Google has been taking baby steps for years now, and the company has announced it would completely remove the plug-in by late 2020. With Chorme 76, Flash is now blocked by default, and if users want to go back to the ‘Ask first' option, they will have to go to Settings > Content > Flash to switch it back to what it was. With this, Google is forcing website makers to switch to HTML5.

With Chrome 76, Google has also updated its Incognito mode to protect users from being tracked by third-party sites. It fixed a loophole that allowed sites to detect users who are browsing in the Incognito Mode. The loophole existed in Chrome's FileSystem API and has been widely known in the Web development community. However, that issue has been fixed now, the company confirms in a blog post. The update fixed how Chrome implements FileSystem API so that “detect private mode” scripts can no longer take advantage of that indicator, 9to5Google reports.

It has also added an ‘Install' shortcut button in the omnibox for easy and fast download of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). These apps will also check for updates daily now, instead of every three days, as was the case earlier. Google says that a total of 43 security fixes are also included in Chrome 76. You can update to the latest version by using the built-in updater or via the company website.

Google also notes that Chrome 76 is testing a new Paint Holding behaviour, that essentially will eliminate the white screen process while going from one page to another. The browser will now wait ‘briefly before starting to paint, especially if the page is fast enough.'